
The Accidental Administrator: How to Succeed When You Didn’t Plan to Lead
I did not plan to become a university administrator. I planned to be a dancer.

I did not plan to become a university administrator. I planned to be a dancer.

Late spring semester in 2025, the president of a midsize liberal arts college convened an emergency meeting of the senior leadership team. A highly respected dean had submitted her resignation,

Early in our careers, we both believed that educational leadership followed a particular formula. You needed to earn the right degree, hold the correct title(s), and follow a clearly defined

Many student-facing leaders on college campuses work diligently to cultivate environments where students can thrive and be their authentic selves. But often, many higher education professionals do not get an

Disagreements emerging from the competing priorities of faculty members and administrators are unavoidable. Conflict, however, can emerge from drama being used as a strategic tactic to achieve a desired outcome.

Amid profound policy disruptions in US higher education—encompassing aggressive moves to dismantle DEI programs, restrictions on international student visas, suspensions of federal research grants, and more—there emerges a critical imperative